TOXETH SEX OFFENDER STEPHEN FURMEDGE SENTENCED FOR DECADE OF ABUSE IN LIVERPOOL

In August 2014, a disturbing case involving a long history of sexual offenses came to a conclusion as Stephen Furmedge, a 52-year-old man from Toxteth, was sentenced to prison for a series of heinous crimes committed over many years.

Furmedge was convicted of subjecting a young girl to a relentless campaign of sexual abuse that spanned nearly a decade. His victim, who was between the ages of three and 12 during the period of abuse, endured this trauma through the late 1970s and into the 1980s. The details of her suffering reveal a pattern of predatory behavior that left lasting scars.

However, this was not the first time Furmedge’s criminal history had come to light. Records show that he had previously served time in 1989 after being convicted of raping a young girl and a young boy. Additionally, he was found guilty of sexually abusing another girl while residing in Kirkby. His criminal record also includes a conviction from the early 1970s for engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl.

Prosecutor Robert Wyn Jones recounted that some of the victim’s earliest memories involved abuse by Furmedge, including an incident where he kissed her on the lips when she was just three years old. The abuse was reported to have occurred on a weekly basis over several years. At one point, Furmedge attempted to rape her when another girl was sharing a double bed with her, indicating a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.

The victim recounted that the last time Furmedge made a sexual advance towards her was when she was 12 years old, at which point she was better able to resist and stop him. She also expressed awareness that other children had been similarly victimized by Furmedge, crimes for which he had previously served nine years in prison after they were reported. Despite this, she did not disclose the abuse to authorities at the time.

Furmedge denied all allegations during the trial, but a jury found him guilty of nine counts of sexual assault, nine counts of indecency with a child, and five counts of attempted rape. The court proceedings culminated in a sentencing hearing presided over by Judge Andrew Hatton. The judge remarked that under current laws, Furmedge would have faced a life sentence. However, because the sentencing was based on the laws in effect at the time of his crimes, he was sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison.

Judge Hatton also noted that if Furmedge’s crimes had been fully understood by the judiciary in the 1980s, a life sentence might have been the appropriate punishment. Nonetheless, the sentence handed down reflects the legal standards of the period, and Furmedge’s long history of offending underscores the severity of his actions and the ongoing danger he posed to children in the Toxteth area and beyond.